Typical traditions

Like most Hispanic families we made menudo and tacos on Christmas and ate beans and tortillas whenever it was possible. My mom made tamales and tortillas and also enchiladas. She also made antipasta salad for the family.

Besides that, my parents worked a lot so we were latchkey kids. That means, when we got home from school there was not anyone home. We were forced to survive on our own. My parents would come home late or sometimes stay in other cities because they were promoters of concerts, such as Kool and the gang, Midnight Star, Zapp, and Rick James and other groups. So they would work on doing concerts with the bands above. It was fun to go see the concerts, especially if they were here in Southern Arizona.

We had traditions no different from other American families. We celebrated thanksgiving and Christmas like the rest of the people in the country. We would celebrate birthdays. One year, for my tenth birthday we had invited Gary the Dj over so he could play music, while all the kids, including me would break dance on a piece of cardboard. It was a great time. Besides that, we were typical, except my parents didn’t put us in extra curriculum activities, such as sports, but in Jr. High school. I was in band and was a percussionist. I played a bass drum and a snare drum. This is where I developed my love of music. Thank you for reading.